Electromagnetic reed relay



P 1966 N. H. MAGIDA ETAL 3,274,524

ELECTROMAGNETIC REED RELAY Filed March 25, 1964 AaZ/zaiz 17. fllyala" Y J VaZZcr A/BachZe fila t'r 8- Eu dries HI'IWKNEYS'.

United States Patent 3,274,524 ELECTROMAGNETIC REED RELAY Nathan H. Magida, Westport, and Walter W. Bachle, Wilton, Conn., assignors to Thermosen, Incorporated,

Stamford, Conn.

Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,616 11 Claims. (Cl. 335-152) This invention relates to electromagnetic circuit control devices and particularly to multicontact evacuated magnetic reed relays.

More particularly, this invention relates to an electromagnetic circui-t control device of the general type disclosed in our copending United States patent application Ser. No. 137,395, filed Sept. 11, 1961 for a Multicontact Evacuated Magnetic Reed Relay, although, as will hereinafter be apparent, features of the present invention may be embodied in circuit control, devices quite different from the relay disclosed in our copending application.

The relay of our copending application comprises, briefly, a sealed enclosure and an electromagnet having a coil disposed outside of the enclosure and a fixed central core. The core includes a portion that extends beyond the coil and passes through a wall of the enclosure to present a multifaced pole member within the enclosure. A plurality of magnetic reeds are arrayed within the enclosure about the pole member so as to be attracted in unison toward the respective faces of that member upon energization of the coil. Each reed carries an electrical contact that coacts with another contact to make or break an electrical circuit upon movement of that reed.

This prior relay has proven quite satisfactory for simultaneous control of multiple circuits. However, in many relay applications it is desirable to have individual control of the several circuits or groups of circuits controlled by the relay so that each individual circuit or group of circuits may be selectively made or broken without affecting the condition of the other circuits. No such individual control is available in the relay of our copending application since the reeds are all moved toward the single pole member simultaneously so that all of the circuits are simultaneously switched.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electromagnetic relay.

It is a more specific object to provide a magnetic reed relay retaining the many operational and packaging advantages of the relay of our copending application and yet providing individual control of multiple circuits controlled by the relay.

Another object is to provide an evacuated magnetic reed relay having a plurality of separately controllable double-pole relay switch units.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplified in the article hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing one of the double-pole relay switch units provided by the relay of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of a complete relay according to the invention, with inner and outer casings broken away to reveal details of internal construction;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the relay of FIGURE 2 with the outer casing removed.

The relay of the invention comprises at least one double-pole relay switch unit indicated generally at 10 in the several figures of the drawings. Switch unit 10, as best seen in FIGURE 1, includes first and second pole pieces 11 and 12 joined by a magnetic coupler bar 14. Coil means, indicated generally at 16, are provided and are arranged so that, when energized, the pole pieces 11 and 12 are oppositely polarized to establish a magnetic flux circuit, shown in dotted lines. This circuit sequentially includes one of the pole pieces, the coupler bar 14, the other pole piece, and then the air gap 18 separating the pole pieces. A pair of elongated magnetic contact carrying reeds 20 and 22 are provided, one adjacent each pole piece. It will be seen that upon energization of the coil means 16, the reeds 20 and 22 are drawn toward the respective pole pieces. The reeds, as will be understood, are thus made to perform a switching operation with respect to electrical circuits in which they are connected.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, there are a plurality of switch units 10 arranged about a central axis 13 and each having pole pieces 11 and 12 adapted upon energization of a coil means 16 to attract a pair of reeds 20 and 22. The coil means 16 controlling the various units 10 are separately energizable, thus providing a plurality of independent double-pole switches.

As seen in FIGURE 2, the various sets of pole pieces 11, 12, as well as the associated reed pairs 20, 22, are contained within a hermetically sealed enclosure shown generally at 24. The coil means 16 are disposed outside of this enclosure so as to prevent contamination of the relay contacts by any corrosive gases which may be generated by the coil means.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and first to FIGURE 1, the pole pieces 11 and 12 are constituted by the lower ends of parallel co-extensive magnetic cores 26 and 28, which are formed of low reluctance, highly permeable iron. Coupler bar 14, also of magnetic material, joins the upper end of cores 26 and 28. The coil means 16 comprises an electrically conductive wire 30 wound in helical fashion around core 28 and then around core 26. The direction in which wire 30 is wound on core 28 is opposite to the direction in which it is wound on core 26 so that, upon passage of a suitable current through wire 30, opposite magnetic poles are induced at pole pieces 11 and 12 and magnetic flux will thus flow along the dotted line path, as previously described.

Associated with each reed 20, 22 is an outer support arm 32 and an inner support arm 34. Arms 32 and 34 are preferably formed of non-magnetic spring material. Each reed carries a contact 36 which, with coil means 16 de-energized, is pressed against a contact portion 33 on the related support arm 32. Each reed further includes a contact 38 (see also FIGURE 2) which, upon energization of coil means 16 and movement of the reed toward the pole piece, is brought into contact with a contact portion 35 of the inner support arm 34. It will be seen that each set of cores 26 and 28 forms with the related coupler bar 14 -a U structure having the pole pieces 10 and 11 at its opposite ends separated by the air gap 18.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, the enclosure 24 includes a tubular sleeve 40 and upper and lower disc shaped headers 42 and 44 hermetically closing, respectively, the up- 3 within the enclosure 24. There is thus provided within sealed enclosure 24 a plurality of sets (FIGURE 3) of pole pieces 11, 12 arrayed about the central axis. A pair of reeds 20, 22 are provided (FIGURE 3) for each pole piece set 11, 12.

Each reed comprises a flexible strip of magnetic, electrically conductive .metal having its free upper end disposed adjacent the related pole piece and extending downwardly through header 44 to terminate externally as tab 46. Tabs 46 lie on a base circle concentric with axis 13.

An inner support arm 34 and an outer support arm 32 are provided for each reed. The support arms 32 and 34 each comprise a strip of spring conductive metal such as phosphor bronze or beryllium copper. Each arm 32, 34 is embedded at its upper end in header 42 and passes at its lower end through header 44 to provide an external tab 47 lying on a base circle concentric with and outside of the base circle of reed tabs 46.

The contact portion 35 of each inner support arm 34 is offset both radially and circumferentially (FIGURES 1 and 3) with respect to the remainder of the arm. The radial offset enables the tabs 47 constituted by the ends of arm 34 to occupy positions on the same base circle as the tabs 47 constituted by the ends of arms 32. The circumferential offset of portion 35 enables the arm 34, at its upper end, to clear the related pole piece and, at its lower end, spaces the tabs 47 circumferentially with respect to the tab constituted by the lower end of the related outer support arm 32.

In order to supply separate energizing currents to the various coil means 16, a plurality of conductor strips 48 (see also FIGURE 3) are provided. Conductor strips 48 extend at their lower ends through lower header 44 to terminate in tabs 50 lying on the base circle of tabs 47, and extend at their upper ends through upper header 42 to terminate in tabs 52. The Wires 30 constituting the coil means for the various switch units are connected at one of their ends to a respective one of the tabs 52 and at their other ends to a common tab 52. The common tab 52 thus serves as the return line for all of the coil wires 30.

One of the conductors 48 is formed at its upper end by a tube member 54. Tube member 54 opens at its upper end outside the enclosure 24 and at its lower end inside the enclosure. After assembly of the various reeds, support arms, and pole pieces within the enclosure 24, the air trapped within the enclosure is evacuated through tube portion 54. Enclosure 24 may thereafter, if desired, be back filled through tube 54 with an inert gas.

In this regard, it should be understood that the term air gap as used herein and in the claims is meant to include any relatively high reluctance gap, whether provided by air, by an evacuated space, by an inert gas, or by other suitable media.

All of the relay structure thus far described is enclosed within a removable external shell 56. Shell 56 carries a screw 58 at its upper end which threads into a threaded bore in a central post 60 upstanding from header 42. When screwed downwardly, shell 56 fits at its lower end over a shoulder portion 62 of lower header 44.

As previously indicated, the contacts 36 on the reeds 20, 22 are normally pressed against the contact surfaces provided by the contact portions 33 of the related outer support arms 32. When a particular coil means 16 is energized, the related reeds 20, 22 are drawn toward the adjacent pole pieces 11, 12 to press the contacts 38 against the contact portions 35 of the adjacent inner support arms 34.

Thus, in the completed relay, each unit 10 comprises a separate double-pole double-throw switch which may be actuated independently of any of the other switch units. Further, the contacts carried by the reeds, by virtue of their protected position within enclosure 24, are not exposed to the corrosive gases which may exude from the coil means or from any other external source. Further, the novel flux circuitry provided by the units 10 enables a plurality of double-pole relays to be enclosed within a compact common housing and without necessity for elaborate means to isolate the various switches so as to guard against theirafiecting or being affected by the operation of the other switches.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above article without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descritpion or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 7

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

We claim:

1. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) a sealed cylindrical enclosure;

(B) a plurality of elongated flexible reed members of ferromagnetic metal;

(a) said reeds being insulatingly supported in one end wall of said enclosure and extending into the enclosure in a substantially cylindrical array concentric with the enclosure axis;

(C) a plurality of support arm members of nonmagnetic metal insulatingly supported in said one end wall and extending into the enclosure in a substantially cylindrical array concentric with the reed array;

(D) electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and support arms at locations thereon remote from said one end wall;

(E) a plurality of magnetic devices each comprising:

(a) first and second cores respectively providing at one end first and second pole pieces; and

(b) a coupler bar of flux conductive material connecting the other ends of said cores;

(c) said coupler bar forming with said first and second cores a U structure projecting at its opposite ends through the other end wall of said enclosure to dispose said pole pieces within said enclosure separated by an air gap;

(F) said magnetic devices being arrayed about said enclosure axis to provide within said enclosure a corresponding plurality of sets of pole pieces arrayed about said axis;

(G) a separate coil means for each magnetic device comprising an electrically conductive wire wound about the portions of the cores of that device disposed outside of said enclosure and arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to the pole pieces of that device, whereby to establish for that device a magnetic circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, the coupler bar, the other core, the other pole piece and said air gap;

(H) the number and the relative radial and circumferential positioning of said reeds and said pole pieces within said enclosure being such as to dispose the free ends of a pair of reeds adjacent the respective pole pieces of each pole piece set; and

(I) means for passing electrical current selectively through each of said wires, whereby to attract the reed pair ajacent the pole piece set of the related magnetic device toward the respective pole pieces of that set to move the contacts on said reed pair relative to the contacts on the related support arms so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including those contacts.

2. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) first and second magnetic cores respectively pro viding at one end thereof first and second pole pieces separated by an air gap;

(B) flux conductor means connecting said cores at their other ends;

(C) coil means on said cores arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to said pole pieces, whereby to establish a magnetic flux circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, said flux conductor means, the other core, the other pole piece, and said gap;

(D) first and second reeds having magnetic portions disposed adjacent said first and second pole pieces, respectively; and

(E) a pair of electrical contacts supported in the path of movement of each of said reeds, one electrical contact adjacent either side of each reed;

whereby upon energization of said coil means said reeds are drawn toward the respective pole pieces so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said reeds and said electrical contacts.

3. An electrogmanetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) first and second cores each providing a pole piece at one of its ends;

(B) flux conductor means connecting the other ends of said cores and forming therewith a U structure having said pole pieces at its opposite ends separated by an air gap;

(C) coil means on said cores arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to said pole pieces, whereby to establish a magnetic flux circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, said conductor means, the other core, the other pole piece, and said air gap;

(D) first and second reeds having magnetic portions disposed adjacent a respective pole piece; and

(E) a pair of electrical contacts supported in the path of movement of each of said reeds, one electrical contact adjacent either side of each reed;

whereby upon energization of said coil means said reeds are drawn toward the respective pole pieces so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said reeds and said electrical contacts.

4. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) a sealed enclosure;

(B) [first and second cores each providing a pole piece at one of its ends;

(C) flux conductor means connecting said cores at their other ends and forming therewith a U structure projecting at its opposite ends through a wall of said enclosure to dispose said pole pieces within said enclosure separated by an air gap;

(D) coil means mounted on portions of said cores outside of said enclosure and arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to said pole pieces, whereby to establish a magnetic flux circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, said flux conductor means, the other core, the other pole piece, and said air gap;

(E) first and second magnetic reeds having magnetic portions arranged within said enclosure adjacent a respective pole piece; and

(F) a pair of electrical contacts supported in the path of movement or each of said reeds, one electrical contact adjacent either side of each reed;

whereby upon energization of said coil means said reeds are drawn toward the respective pole pieces so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said reeds and said electrical contacts.

5. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) a plurality of magnetic devices each comprising (a) first and second cores respectively providing 6 at one end thereof first and second pole pieces, and (b) a magnetic .flux conductor connecting the other ends of said cores and forming therewith a U structure having said pole pieces at its opposite ends separated by an air gap;

(B) said magnetic devices being arrayed about a central axis;

(C) a separate coil means for each such device wound on the cores of that device and arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to the pole pieces of that device, whereby to establish for that device a magnetic circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, said flux conductor, the other core, the other pole piece, and said air gap;

(D) and a plurality of pairs of magnetic reeds arrayed about said central axis, one reed of each pair having a magnetic portion disposed adjacent one pole piece of a respective one of said magnetic devices and the other reed of that pair having a magnetic portion disposed adjacent the other pole piece of that device;

(E) a plurality of support arm members arrayed about said central axis adjacent said reeds; and

(F) electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and support arm members;

whereby upon energization of the related coil means the related reeds are attracted toward the respective pole pieces of that device moving said electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and said support arm members relative to one another so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said reeds and said support arm members.

6. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) a sealed enclosure having a central axis;

( 13) a plurality of magnetic devices each comprising (a) first and second cores respectively providing at one end thereof first and second pole pieces, and

(b) a magnetic flux conductor connecting the other ends of said cores and forming therewith a U structure projecting at its opposite ends through a wall of said enclosure to dispose said pole pieces within said enclosure separated by an air (C) said magnetic devices being arrayed about said central axis to provide within said enclosure a corresponding plurality of sets of pole pieces arrayed about said axis;

(D) a separate coil means for each magnetic device Wound on the portions of the cores of that device disposed outside of said enclosure and arranged when energized to impart opposite polarization to the pole pieces of that device, whereby to establish for that device a magnetic circuit sequentially including one of said pole pieces, the related core, said flux conductor, the other core, the other pole piece, and said air gap;

(E) .a corresponding plurality of pairs of magnetic reeds arranged about said central axis, one reed of each pair having within said enclosure a magnetic portion disposed adjacent one pole piece of a respec tive one of said pole piece sets and the other reed of that pair having within said enclosure a magnetic portion disposed adjacent the other pole piece of that set;

(F) a plurality of support arm members arrayed about said central axis adjacent said magnetic reeds; and

(G) electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and said support arm members;

whereby upon energization of the related coil means the related reeds are attracted toward the respective pole pieces of that set moving said electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and said support arm member-s relative to one another so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said support arm members and said magnetic reeds.

7. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising,

in combination:

(A) a plurality of separate electromagnets;

(B) frame means supporting said plurality of magnets in positions to present a plurality of magnetic poles arrayed about a central axis; and

(C) a contact carrying magnetic reed disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of each said electromagnets and adjacent each of said poles so as to be attracted toward that pole upon energization of the magnet presenting that pole; and

(D) a plurality of electrical contacts supported on support arms adjacent the contacts carried by said magnetic reeds, said support arms being disposed substantially parallel to said magnetic reeds.

8. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising,

in combination:

(A) a pluarity of separate electromagnets;

(B) frame means supporting said magnets in positions arrayed about a central axis; and

(C) a plurality of contact carrying magnetic reeds supported by said frame means, substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of said electromagnets and in positions arrayed about said central axis;

(D) one of said reeds being disposed adjacent a pole of each of said electromagnets so as to be attracted toward the pole upon energization of that magnet; and

(E) a plurality of support arm members disposed adjacent said reeds and substantially parallel thereto, each support arm member carrying an electrical contact aligned with the contract carried by adjacent reed.

9. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising,

in combination:

(A) a sealed enclosure;

(B) a plurality of separate electromagnets supported in positions arrayed about a central axis of said enclosure;

(C) each of said electromagnets comprising a coil disposed outside of said enclosure and a fixed central core having a portion extending beyond said coil and passing through a wall of said enclosure to present a pole piece within said enclosure;

(D) a plurality of contact carrying reeds each having a magnetic portion disposed within said enclosure adjacent a respective one of said pole pieces so as to be attracted toward that pole piece upon energization of the electromagnet presenting that pole piece; and

(E) a plurality of electrical contacts supported adjacent the contacts carried by said magnetic reeds.

10. An electromagnetic circuit control device comprising, in combination:

(A) a plurality of elongated flexible reed members of ferromagnetic metal;

(B) means insulatingly supporting said reeds in a substantially cylindrical array about a central axis;

(C) a plurality of support arm members of nonmagnetic metal insulatingly mounted adjacent to said magnetic reeds in a substantially concentric cylindrical array about said axis;

(D) electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and support arm members at locations thereon remote from said supporting means; and

(E) a plurality of separate electromagnets supported in positions arrayed about said common central axis;

(F) one of said reeds being disposed at its free end adjacent a pole of each of said electromagnets so as to be attracted toward that pole upon energization of the electromagnet presenting that'pole;

whereby said electrical contacts on adjacent surfaces of said reeds and said support arm members move relative to one another so as to perform switching operations with respect to electrical circuits including said reeds and said support arm members.

11. An electromagnetic circuit control device according to claim 10 and further including:

(A) a sealed enclosure enclosing said reeds, said support arms and said poles and isolating them from the coils of said electromagnets to exclude from said electrical contacts corrosive gases generated by said coils or other external source.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,541 11/1959 Jennings 20087 X 3,038,975 6/1962 Humphreys 200-87 FOREIGN PATENTS 769,770 3/ 1957 Great Britain.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

J. J. BAKER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTROMAGNETIC CIRCUIT CONTROL DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: (A) A SEALED CYLINDRICAL ENCLOSURE; (B) A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED FLEXIBLE REED MEMBERS OF FERROMAGNETIC METAL; (A) SAID REEDS BEING INSULATINGLY SUPPORTED IN ONE END WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND EXTENDING INTO THE ENCLOSURE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ARRAY CONCENTRIC WITH THE ENCLOSURE AXIS; (C) A PLURALITY OF SUPPORT ARM MEMBERS OF NONMAGNETIC METAL INSULATINGLY SUPPORT IN SAID ONE END WALL AND EXTENDING INTO THE ENCLOSURE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL ARRAY CONCENTRIC WITH THE REED ARRAY; (D) ELECTRICAL CONTACTS ON ADJACENT SURFACES OF SAID REEDS AND SUPPORT ARMS AT LOCATIONS THEREON REMOTE FROM SAID ONE END WALL; (E) A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC DEVICES EACH COMPRISING: (A) FIRST AND SECOND CORES RESPECTIVELY PROVIDING AT ONE END FIRST AND SECOND POLE PIECES; AND (B) A COUPLER BAR OF FLUX CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL CONNECTING THE OTHER ENDS OF SAID CORES; (C) SAID COUPLER BAR FORMING WITH SAID FIRST AND SECOND CORES A U STRUCTURE PROJECTING AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS THROUGH THE OTHER END WALL OF SAID ENCLOSURE TO DISPOSE SAID POLE PIECES WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE SEPARATED BY AN AIR GAP; (F) SAID MAGNETIC DEVICES BEING ARRAYED ABOUT SAID ENCLOSURE AXIS TO PROVIDE WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE A CORRESPONDING PLURALITY OF SETS OF POLE PIECES ARRAYED ABOUT SAID AXIS; (G) A SEPARATE COIL MEANS FOR EACH MAGNETIC DEVICE COMPRISING AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE WIRE WOUND ABOUT THE PORTIONS OF TH CORES OF THAT DEVICE DISPOSED OUTSIDE OF SAID ENCLOSURE AND ARRANGED WHEN ENERGIZED TO IMPART OPPOSITE POLARIZATION TO THE POLE PIECES OF THAT DEVICE, WHEREBY TO ESTABLISH FOR THAT DEVICE A MAGNETIC CIRCUIT SEQUENTIALLY INCLUDING ONE OF SAID POLE PIECES, THE RELATED CORE, THE COUPLER BAR, THE OTHER CORE, THE OTHER POLE PIEES AND SAID AIR GAP; (H) THE NUMBER AND THE RELATIVE RADIAL AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL POSITIONING OF SAID REEDS AND SAID POLE PIECES WITHIN SAID ENCLOSURE BEING SUCH AS TO DISPOSE THE FREE ENDS OF A PAIR OF REEDS ADJACENT THE RESPECTIVE POLE PIECES OF EACH POLE PIECE SET; AND (I) MEANS FOR PASSING ELECTRICAL CURRENT SELECTIVELY THROUGH EACH OF SAID WIRES, WHEREBY TO ATTRACT THE REED PAIR AJACENT THE POLE PIECE SET OF THE RALATED MAGNETIC DEVICE TOWARD THE RESPECTIVE POLE PIECES OF THAT SET TO MOVE THE CONTACTS ON SAID REED PAIR RELATIVE TO THE CONTACTS ON THE RELATED SUPPORT ARMS SO AS TO PERFORM SWITCHING OPERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS INCLUDING THOSE CONTACTS. 